Spider-Speak
by djoooloveseggos
Summary: Peter Parker never thought he would need to know Morse code. He guesses it's a good thing he does.
1. Chapter 1

A normal day for Peter Parker consisted of the following: Go to school, suffer through schoolwork, and then go patrolling Queens as Spider-Man.

Today was no different. Peter was currently swinging his way through an alleyway after eating his daily dose of Delmar's. _I hope something at least remotely interesting happens today,_ he thought. Shooting a web across the street, something crashed into Peter and caused him to miss his target and fall. Peter saved himself from a broken bone by tucking himself into a roll at the last second.

Standing up, Peter saw a robot land on its feet a couple yards in front of him. _I didn't mean this kind of interesting!_ Peter complained mentally. Peter started to observe the robot in front of him. The robot was tall and humanoid. It looked like it was made entirely from iron, and had slits for eyes with red light in them. So far, it wasn't attacking, it just seemed to be observing.

"Hey, you hunk of metal, what the heck do you want?" Peter called to it. The robot turned its head to Peter slowly. Its eyes narrowed. _Uh-oh._

The robot attacked. Peter managed to jump out of the way.

"Karen! Analyze fight pattern!" Peter said, continuing to evade the robot's attacks.

"On it," Karen replied.

Peter swung his way through the streets, trying to avoid contact with the robot.

"Incoming call from Tony Stark. Would you like me to answer?" Karen asked.

"I guess answer it Karen."

The call came through.

"Hey I'm a little busy here, Mr. Stark. Is this important, cause I kinda got a crazy robot following me," Peter said.

"Pete, listen. I don't know where they came from, but these robots are all over the place. Think you can meet up with us?" Mr. Stark's voice sounded slightly winded.

"Yeah, I guess," Peter replied, swinging around a corner.

"Great. I'll have Fri send coordinates. See you in a few, Spider-ling," Mr. Stark ended the call.

 _Ugh, I guess I have to deal with this one before I can go._

Quickly webbing the robot up and punching it in the head, Peter followed Karen's directions to Mr. Stark.

"You have arrived at the coordinates," Karen said.

"Huh? But, where's Mr. Stark?," Peter said, confused.

"Look up, Peter," She replied, sounding exasperated.

Peter tilted his head skyward. "Oh, right."

Iron Man was flying around, a group of the robots flying after him. As Peter watched, he could see that the other Avengers were there as well. An arrow would fly from the top of a building, hitting a robot and exploding. He could hear a distant clanging from down the street. There was an occasional strike of lightning, and Peter could hear roaring.

"Oh my god oh my god ohmygod! Karen! Do you think Mr. Stark will let me meet everyone else after this?" Peter whisper-yelled.

All of a sudden, Peter heard a chorus of slightly breathless chuckles.

"Wow Spider-ling, I feel underappreciated. I'm pretty sure you weren't that excited when you met me. By the way, you're connected to the comms now." Mr. Stark's amused voice came through the speaker in Peter's mask.

Peter's face burned with embarrassment. "Oh my god," he squeaked.

"You gonna stand there the whole time, or are you gonna come help?" Mr. Stark said dryly.

"Oh, uh, yeah."

Peter flew into action, helping to incapacitate the robots. With only a few scratches, Peter was feeling pretty good. As he swung at a robot from behind, he noticed a small opening on the back of its neck.

"Hey, Mr. Stark? I think there's some sort of control panel on the back of their necks. It might make it easier to take them out."

"Go for it, Underoos."

Peter swung toward another robot and managed to grab the back of its neck. He jabbed his hand into it, hoping to disable it quickly. He ripped out come cables, and the robot dropped.

"Hey, the worked pretty we-" Peter was cut off by the robot exploding with a piercing shriek. Peter somehow managed to cover his head, but couldn't cover his ears. The pitch was unbearable, and Peter dropped, letting out a low moan. Or, at least he thought he had. Hadn't he?

Peter saw darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi! If you're reading this right now, that means you at least somewhat like this, and that makes me very happy! Thank you so much, I hope you enjoy! (This is set slightly before the end of last chapter.)

* * *

After talking to Peter, Tony waited to hear about how the control panel approach worked before trying it himself. Tony was currently banking sharply around a corner, trying to throw the robots off. One or two crashed into the building, but the rest quickly realized the trick. The four left in the group chased after Tony.

"How's everything going, guys?" Tony spoke into the comms.

He received a chorus of fine's and okay's.

Tony was brought sharply back into focus on the task at hand. He turned around, managing to hit one of the robots with a repulsor blast. He eventually got rid of two others, leaving him with the last. Suddenly, Tony heard a high-pitched shriek from street level.

"That from one of you guys?" Tony asked, still trying to get rid of the last bot.

"Tony, I think it might have been from where Spider-Man is," Steve said, grunting slightly.

"Underoos? You good?" Tony didn't bother to answer Steve.

There was no reply.

Instantly, icy-cold panic slithered its way up Tony's spine. After asking Friday where Peter was, he made his way over to the spider-themed hero. As he approached, he noticed a figure in red and blue curled up in a ball on the asphalt. Tony sped up, landing a few feet away.

The robot he had previously been avoiding fell behind him after being hit with a well-aimed repulsor blast. Tony rushed to get out of the suit, and ran to Peter. He grabbed his shoulder and shook it.

"Underoos? Peter?" He asked, only to realize that Peter was unconscious.

"Fri, tell the others that I'm going back to the compound," Tony called to the suit standing a few feet away.

"Of course, boss," Friday's Irish-accented voice replied.

Tony made his way into the suit, and went over to pick up Peter. _Please be okay, Pete._

* * *

Peter woke up the strong smell of antiseptic. He opened his eyes, only to close them quickly after being blinded by the lights in the room. Learning his lesson, he slowly worked his eyes open and adjusted to the light.

He felt a hand on his own, and turned his head to his left, where Mr. Stark was sitting. As he observed his mentor, Peter realized that Mr. Stark's lips were moving. _Wait, what?_

"Mr. Stark, what's happening? I can't hear you," Peter said. Unbeknownst to him, Peter had just voiced himself extremely loudly.

In that moment, Tony's heart dropped down to his toes.

"Oh, Pete," Tony whispered, wrapping his hand over Peter's.


	3. Chapter 3

Tony's mind was racing. How did this happen? Is he going to be permanently deaf? What am I going to tell May? How will Peter handle this?

Tony shook his head, turning back to Peter. How does one talk to a deaf kid that doesn't know sign language? He sighed, running his hand through his hair. Looking at Peter, Tony could see the fear on his face, but the kid chose to stay silent. Tony sighed again, deciding to pantomime to the best of his ability. He made the motions that made the best sense to describe that he would be right back. He waited until Peter nodded his head slowly, and then stood up and walked out of the room quickly, in search of a pen and piece of paper.

After finding one, he went back to Peter's room. He hurriedly wrote 'Pete, don't worry. I know you can't hear me, but we'll figure this out. I'll get Bruce to work on it, too. I know you're scared, but I'm going to make sure you'll be okay.' Tony surprised himself with what he wrote. Since when did I get this sappy? Blegh. He gave the pen and notepad to Peter.

He watched as Peter smiled slightly, and then as his eyebrows rose and his jaw dropped.

"THE Bruce Banner?! Mr. Stark, are you kidding?!" Peter said, almost yelling.

Tony took the pen and paper and wrote, 'Yes, kid, the old Brucie-boy himself. When you talk, you need to realize that you're talking really loudly. You're gonna hurt other people's ears.'.

"Oh, okay," Peter whispered, curling in on himself. "Sorry."

'It's okay kiddo, don't worry about it. Is it okay if Bruce comes in here? Or would you rather he not. I know you're worried about him knowing who you are, but I promise he won't tell if you don't want him to.'

"I guess it's okay," Peter said quietly.

"Fri, can you get Bruce in here, please? Make sure he comes alone, too," Tony said, his eyes directed to the ceiling so Peter would know who he was talking to.

Eventually, the door opened, and Bruce came in. He opened his mouth to say something, but as his eyes darted over to the bed, his jaw snapped shut.

"Hey Brucie, this is Peter. Or, as you know him, Spider-Man. Don't be worried if he knows you; he certainly does," Tony said, smirking.

As soon as he finished speaking, Peter started talking. "Oh my gosh! You're-"

"The Hulk? Yeah that's me," Bruce said unenthusiastically.

"The most renowned scientist of the generation! I love your work! I've read all of your works on gamma radiation, they're so interesting!" Peter's voice was fast, and raised slightly in volume at the end.

Bruce's head whipped around to look at Peter, eyes wide. "Oh. Uh, yeah. That's me too. How old are you, Peter?"

Peter watched Bruce talk, and the cast his eyes toward the ground, slumping.

"What's wrong?" Bruce asked Peter, confused. He watched as Tony went over to rub Peter's back comfortingly.

"After that robot exploded, he can't hear. I asked you to come to see if you could help me fix it. We have to help him, Bruce," Tony said, his voice sounding desperate.

"Of course I'll help, Tony. Don't worry, we'll figure this out," Bruce said.

Tony opened his mouth to thank Bruce, but he was interrupted by a loud growl coming from Peter's stomach. As the two older watched, Peter's face turned as red as his suit.

"Uhmmm…" Peter mumbled, obviously embarrassed.

"Ah. How could I forget that spider-baby has an enhanced metabolism?" Tony said, trying not to laugh.

Tony grabbed the notepad and wrote 'You up for a trip to the kitchen, kiddie?'

"Is anyone else gonna be there?" Peter asked shyly.

Tony's face changed to a look of confusion. 'I thought you were excited?'

"Well, I was—I mean, I am—but I kinda can't hear so that'd be kind of awkward if the Black Widow had to write to talk to some random kid."

'Kid, I'm sure Nat wouldn't mind. I have no doubt she'll love you when she meets you. And besides, you're not some random kid. You're Peter Parker, one of the smartest kids I've ever met. Now let's go get some food. I'll tell Friday to keep everyone out of the kitchen for a bit, okay?'

"Thank you, Mr. Stark," Peter said, a small but genuine smile on his face.

The Stark smiled back, patting Peter on the back lightly.

Tony motioned for Bruce to follow them, and the trio made their way to the elevator.

After stepping off of the elevator, the three entered the kitchen.

"Hey Tony?" Bruce said, glancing at the smaller superhero following them. "What's his story? He looks so young but I've seen him in action. He's so strong. Where did he even get his powers?"

"Brucie, it's not really my story to tell. I'm sure Pete would be fine telling you if you asked," Tony said, giving a small smile in the scientist's direction.

Peter sat himself at a bar stool, hopping up with so much careless coordination Bruce's brows furrowed.

"No fair."

Tony just laughed, catching the teen's attention.

"What's so funny?" Peter asked, confused.

Tony shook his head, still chuckling.


	4. Chapter 4

After eating a very healthy meal of pizza, the small group sat at the table.

Tony's mind was spinning in circles. Peter looked so sad, unable to listen and participate in conversation without using paper. Tony wondered if they could talk another way.

"Hey Brucie-bear, do you know if there's any other way Pete and I can communicate? This whole paper thing is gonna suck sooner than later," Tony spoke.

"Honestly? I'm not sure. For some reason all I can think of is Morse code, but neither of you probably know it," Bruce said, crossing his arms and rubbing his chin.

"Actually, I do. I bet Peter doesn't, though."

Tony moved over and touched Peter's arm. Peter's head snapped up from staring at the table.

"Yes?" Peter asked softly.

Tony wrote slowly, hoping the entire time that the younger would say yes. 'Do you know Morse code?'

Peter looked at Tony, his brows furrowed.

"Yeah, why?"

Tony's face split in a grin, his eyes crinkling.

'We can talk that way, Pete. I know it and you know it, so if there's ever a time where we can't write, we have a backup plan.'

Peter's eyes lit up, and he smiled. He grabbed Tony's hand, squeezing lightly.

"That's great!"

Tony's response was a series of taps on the inside of Peter's palm.

'.. / -.- -. - .-' _I know._

Peter's grin grew wider, threatening to split his face. His eyes glistened as he tapped back, fingers making a steady pressure on Tony's hand. '- ... .- -. -.- / -.- - ..-' _Thank you._

The older man had no chance to reply before there was a smaller body crashing into his own. Tony just chuckled and wrapped himself around the boy in front of him. They held each other longer, both soaking up the comfort the hug gave them.

There were soft presses on Tony's back. '.. / .-.. - ...- . / -.- - ..-' _I love you._

Tears blurred Tony's vision, and he gripped Peter tighter. A laugh bubbled up from his stomach. Tony buried his face in Peter's hair, and closed his eyes.

Against his chest, Peter smiled. He gripped his father-figure tighter, tears sliding down his cheeks.

Tony's right hand slid around Peter until it was over his heart. '.. / .-.. - ...- . / -.- - ..- / - - -' _I love you too._

* * *

Unbeknownst to the pair, Bruce watched the scene with a fond smile. Sure, he had no idea what they were saying while talking in Morse, but seeing the effect that Peter had on Tony was amazing.

Bruce was happy for his friend. He was glad that Tony could have someone like Peter. Someone that would have unwavering faith and love for him.

Bruce smiled, and left the kitchen. He stepped out, and was startled to see the rest of the avengers standing outside of the door.

All of them opened their mouths, and Bruce had no doubt they were about to start talking extremely loudly.

He hurriedly shoved them all into a conference room right down the hallway, and slammed the door shut.

Immediately, they all started shouting questions.

"Does Tony have a son?"

"Is that the spider-kid?"

"Is Spider-Man Tony's son?"

The three were the most frequent.

Bruce sighed, pinching the bride of his nose.

"Look, I'm not gonna answer all of your questions. They aren't my place to tell, and who even knows if those two want you knowing. You're all a bunch of asses for eavesdropping, anyway," he said, sighing again. "No, Tony doesn't have a legitimate son. Ugh, I shouldn't tell you this, but yes, that is Spider-Man."

Bruce turned, closing his eyes.

"Did you guys see what he looked like?" Bruce asked.

He received a litany of no's, and Bruce breathed an audible sigh of relief. _Sorry they kind of know what you look like, Peter._

At that moment, Natasha spoke up, obviously impatient.

"Bruce, what was even going on? Why was Tony crying?"

Bruce looked at the group, sighing again. At this rate, Bruce was going to pass out from a loss of oxygen.

"I don't even really know what they were talking about. Tony was asking me about if there was another way they could talk, and I suggested Morse code. I didn't really expect either of them to know it, but Tony told me he did. He went to talk to Spider-Man about it, and I guess he said he knew it too? I'm guessing they were talking. I really have no idea what was said, so the only way you guys are gonna know is if they tell you. Knowing Tony, you won't be told anything."

The group huffed, but resigned themselves to their fate of no information.

Though no one knew about anyone else, they all made a silent promise to themselves to figure this particular mystery out.

* * *

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed!

I know these are short, but I'm trying my best. I'm working up to a more stable plot. I hope you understand!

If you have any suggestions or can think of any improvements, I'd love to hear them! Constructive criticism is always welcomed!

See you soon,

Djooo


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, Tony stumbled into the kitchen for his daily coffee fix. The rest of the team-minus one sleeping spider-were eating around the counter. Multiple sets of eyes followed the billionaire and he retrieved a mug and filled it.

As the coffee made its way into his system, Tony's focus on his surroundings increased, and he noticed everyone staring at him.

"What?" he snapped, "Do I have drool on my face or something?"

"Tony, why didn't you tell us that you know who the spider-kid really is?" Sam asked, face stuffed with a waffle.

Tony choked on his sip of coffee, slamming the mug down on the counter. Steve slapped his back, helping to get his coughing under control.

"Uhm...what?!" Tony stuttered.

"Spider-Man. We saw you last night. Why were you crying?" Natasha demanded.

"Oh, well...you see-" Tony's fidgety answer was interrupted by feet shuffling into the kitchen.

Everyone watched as a comatose Peter waddled in, wrapped in an Iron Man printed blanket. He yawned as he went over to the coffee machine, grabbing a random mug to fill.

At the last second, Tony snatched the mug from Peter, and spun him around to tuck him into his chest. '-. - - / .- .-.. - -. .' _Not alone._

Peter huffed, burying his head under the man's chin. '... - .- / -... .- -..' _How bad?_

The philanthropist sighed. '. ...- . .-. -.- - -. .' _Everyone._

Peter snorted, chest rocking with silent giggles. '.-.. . - .-. ... / -.. - / - ... .. …' _Let's do this._

Before Tony could persuade him not to, Peter turned to face the rest of the Avengers. He smiled and waved.

"Hi! I'm Peter, or, as you all know me, Spider-Man. I can't really hear right now, so I'm free from all of your questions; yay!" Peter turned and marched out of the room, the blanket billowing like a cape behind him.

"I swear to god Pete, really?" Tony murmured, smacking his hand to his face.

"Uh...what the hell just happened?" Sam spoke up.

"Guess I've gotta explain this one," Tony grumbled, filling his mug of coffee and them turning into the common room. "You bozos wanna hear this, or not? I'm only telling once."

The large group scrambled to sit around the billionaire, giving him their full attention.

"I met Peter during the Sokovia fiasco. I needed back-up, and I had been seeing videos of him all over YouTube. He's amazing," Tony started, thinking of all of the incredible things Peter is capable of. "I managed to track him down, which was actually harder than I expected. Kid's pretty good at staying on the down-low. I narrowed his location down to a little apartment in Queens. He lives with his aunt. Both of his parents died when he was young."

There was a collective wince throughout the group, sympathizing for the boy.

Tony continued, sympathizing with them. "I went and visited him. I basically told him he was coming. Had the audacity to tell me he had homework," Tony chuckled. "I brought him to Germany, and you guys know what happened there."

Wanda chose this time to interrupt. "Oh my god. I threw cars at him. He looks so young!"

"She has a point, Tones. How old _is_ Peter?" Rhodey said from the arm of the couch.

Tony dropped his face into his hands. "He's fifteen now. He was fourteen in Germany." The answer was whispered guiltily.

"Tony! You put an innocent _child_ in danger! How did any part of you think that was okay?" Steve said in disbelief.

Tony's head whipped up from his hands. "Do you really think I don't know that? God, I regret it every day! I look at the kid and I think what I would do if something had happened to him. I know I messed up, Steve, but I was _desperate_."

A tense silence fell upon the room.

"Tony, I-" Steve started to say, but was cut off.

"Forget it. It's not a big deal. Basically, I made Peter's suit, yadda yadda, and I keep an eye on him. He comes over a couple times during the week and works in my lab. After the robot thing two days ago, he's been staying in the room I have for him. Anyway, that's the end of that. Hope you're all satisfied." And with that, Tony got up to leave, only to abruptly pause. The action caused everyone to look up.

Only to find a small figure standing in the doorway. Tony sighed, and walked forward to Peter.

The group watched Tony's fingers pulse on Peter's forearm. '.. / - ... - ..- -. ... - / -.- - ..- / .- . .-. . / .. -. / - ... . / .-.. .- -...' _I thought you were in the lab._

Peter's eyes searched Tony's, seeing them slightly red. He twined his fingers with Tony's, and faced the group spread out in the room.

"I don't really know what just happened, but I can make a good guess. If you guys are blaming Mr. Stark for Germany; don't. If I had really wanted to, I could have said no. It was my choice to go. Please don't blame him." The words spilled out of Peter's mouth before he promptly turned and pulled Tony along with him to the lab.

Before anyone could speak, Bucky turned to Steve. "We need to talk to him," he mumbled.

"Yeah, Buck. We do."

* * *

In the lab, Tony pulled Peter into his chest, sighing at the comfortable feeling of the small body wrapped around his own. Tony pressed a light kiss into Peter's hairline while pressing a message into his back. '- ... .- -. -.- / -.- - ..-/ -... .- - -... ..' _Thank you, Bambi._

Peter looked up at the sudden new nickname, a smile growing over his features. He stuffed his face back in his father-figure's chest, squeezing him tighter. ' _.. / .-.. - ...- . / -.- - ..- -..- / -.. .- -..' I love you, Dad._

Tony's response was stolen from him as a red light started flashing and Friday's voice filled the lab.

"Boss, the robots have returned, and are currently breaching the eastern entrance."

Tony's heart sped up, turning back to Peter. His brows were furrowed, and there was slight fear in his eyes.

'... - .- -.- / ... . .-. .' _Stay here._

Peter opened his mouth to protest, but something in Tony's eyes stopped him. He gripped the man in a hug, quickly pushing his fingers into his shoulder blades. '.-. .-.. . .- ... . / -... . / ... .- ..-. .' _Please be safe._

Tony quickly kissed the boys hair. '.. / .- .. .-.. .-..' _I will._

Tony then rushed out of the lab, his suit already forming around him.

Peter stood, worry filling his chest, almost suffocating him. But he stayed.

* * *

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed!

Djooo


	6. Chapter 6

Peter sat in Tony's lab, mind whirling. There were so many possibilities. Do they need Peter's help? Should he stay? Will Tony be okay?

The spider drew ina sharp breath. Tears pricked at his eyes as he thought of his father-figure hurt, or worse-dead.

"Friday? How's Mr. Stark doing? Is he okay? Should I help him?" Peter subconsciously looked up at the ceiling, even though the AI's sensors were everywhere.

"Mr. Stark seems to fairing well, Peter. As you know, Boss asked you to stay here, so you should." The AI had said the message in a series of beeps so Peter could understand.

"I guess you're right…" Peter trailed off, flopping into Tony's chair. As the chair spun with his momentum, his eyes caught sight of a dark grey hoodie that the man had been wearing earlier. Peter chewed his lip as he grabbed it, bringing the fabric up to his nose. Tony's cologne, aftershave, and the scent of motor oil filled his nose. The combination of scents immediately soothed Peter, and he pulled the article of clothing around him and sank into his mentor's chair.

The scent of his father-figure calmed Peter's worry, and lulled him into a sleepy haze. His mind lost against the fatigue of his body, and Peter slept.

* * *

Tony blasted a bot, spinning around to get another. The 'battle' had been going on for at least an hour now, and one could see it was coming to an end.

"Fri, how many more do we got?" Tony said, smashing a robot's head.

"Only about fifty more, Boss."

"Alright, you heard the lady, guys. Not much longer," Tony spoke this time to his teammates.

The team replied with multiple affirmatives.

Soon, all of the robots had been dealt with, and the group started to come together.

"Man of Iron, your building is broken." Were the first words out of Thor's mouth.

"Extremely observant, Thor," Tony's voice was devoid of the usual sarcasm it held.

The team shared a look of confusion. What was Tony so occupied with that he couldn't even be snarky?

In reality, Tony was too busy worrying about the teen he had left in his lab.

"None of you saw Peter out here, right?" Tony asked suddenly.

Everyone shook their heads, finally understanding Tony's distracted nature now.

The Stark released a sigh of relief, turning to head back inside.

"Okie dokie, now that that's been dealt with, who wants food? I'm feeling Thai."

The sentence warranted a mad rush back into the compound. Who knew the Avengers liked Thai food so much?

* * *

Tony stepped into the lab, a fond smile lighting up his face at the sight of Peter curled up with his sweatshirt. He walked over, rubbing Peter's back in hopes of waking him up softly.

The boy slowly stirred, blinking his eyes opened blearily. He turned his head and noticed the man standing next to him. His eyes widened and he shot up and into Tony's chest.

"You're okay! I was so worried oh my gosh! I'm so glad you're okay, Dad!" Peter didn't notice the new title slip out of his mouth. But Tony did.

Tony sucked in a breath, gripping the boy tighter. '-.. - / -.- - ..- / - . .- -. / .. -' _Do you mean it?_

"Of course I was worried!" Peter said, disbelieving.

'-. - - / - ... .- -' _Not that._

"Uh...what else did I say?"

'-.- - ..- / -.-. .- .-.. .-.. . -.. / - . / -.. .- -..' _You called me Dad._

Peter's face took on a pink hue, but he didn't deny it. He nodded.

"I do. Um, I mean I kind of see you as my dad, I love you a lot! But, if it isn't okay, I totally get i-" Peter was interrupted from his nervous word-vomit by Tony squeezing him tightly, dropping his head on the teen's shoulder. Peter noticed his shoulders were shaking slightly.

'.. - .-. … / .-. . .-. ..-. . -.-. - / -... .- - -... ..' _It's perfect, Bambi._

Peter grinned. '.. / .-.. - ...- . / -.- - ..-' _I love you._ He pressed the words into his father's chest.

'.. / .-.. - ...- . / -.- - ..-/ - - -' _I love you too._

* * *

The pair stepped out of the elevator and into the kitchen, Tony's arm wrapped around Peter's shoulders.

They caught the attention of everyone else in the kitchen, heads turning their way. No one missed the red rimming Tony's eyes.

The Stark sniffed. "Did you guys order yet?"

"Nah, we didn't," Clint answered, munching on chips.

"Clint, stop eating chips. You won't be hungry when the food gets here," Steve chastised, acting out his role of the mom of the group.

Tony rolled his eyes, and tilted his head up to talk to the ever-present AI.

"Fri, order one of everything from that Thai place we like. You know the one."

"On it, Boss."

Tony guided Peter over to one of the barstools, and went to grab a cup of coffee. After filling it, he stood at the counter.

There was light chatter around the room, paired with crunching from Clint; still eating chips.

"Hey, Fri? When the food gets here just bring the delivery guy up here, kay?" Tony murmured offhandedly.

The AI didn't respond, but Tony knew she had heard him. He walked over to Peter, handing him a glass of water.

"Thanks." Peter straightened. "Food's here."

"Uh, Stark, why is he saying the food's here when it's not?" Sam asked.

Right after he spoke, the elevator dinged.

"That's why," Tony smirked at Sam's surprised face.

He went over to the elevator and took the food out of the stunned man's arms. He threw a one hundred dollar bill at him, and turned around.

"Thanks! Buh-bye now!"

The kitchen was filled with chuckles. Tony walked over with the food, dumping it all over the counter.

Clint abandoned his chips to grab the chicken pad thai, just as Bucky was reaching for it.

"Really, Clint? Can I at least have some?" Bucky mumbled.

"Mmm, nope! All mine!" Bucky groaned, and left the counter with a different dish.

Peter nabbed three containers and flopped onto the couch. Tony followed behind, carrying their drinks. They sat and shared the containers.

Eventually, the rest of the inhabitants crowded around the living room. Some sat on couches, and some sprawled around the floor.

"Ooh! We should watch a movie!" Thor said, excitedly. "Maybe that one with the rainbow magic sticks?"

"Uh, you mean Star Wars?" Clint said, laughing.

Tony rolled his eyes, smirking. "Fri, play Star Wars, would you? Put on subtitles for the kid."

"Of course, Boss."

The movie played, and the food quickly disappeared. Peter curled into Tony's side, eyes trained on the movie.

After the movie finished, Sam challenged Clint to a game of Mario Kart. Everyone cheered for their respective player, and the two taunted each other.

Soon enough, they were nearing the end of the race. Sam was in first place, and Clint was in second. Right before the finish line, Clint hit Sam with a green shell, and took first place.

Immediately, Sam started screaming bloody murder. Tony felt Peter jump at his side. Peter's eyes met his.

".. / ... . .- .-. -.. / - ... .- -' _I heard that._

* * *

Hey guys, I know it's been longer than usual for me to update. School sucks. A lot. Hope you understand.

I love domestic!Avengers so I had to write it. Also, some Iron Dad.

Hope you enjoyed!

djooo


	7. Chapter 7

Tony's heart skipped a beat, unintentionally squeezing Peter's hand tighter.

'-.- - ..- / -.. .. -..' _You did?_

Peter nodded, his eyes wide. '-.. - / -.- - ..- / - ... .. -. -.- / .. - ... / -.-. - - .. -. -. / -... .- -.-. -.-' _Do you think it's coming back?_

'.. / -.. ..- -. -. - / -... .- - -... ..' _I dunno, Bambi._

"Hey, Brucie, can you meet me and Pete down in the med-bay in five?" Tony turned to Bruce, catching the man by surprise.

"Oh-uh, yeah? Why? What's wrong?" Bruce asked.

"Nothing's wrong, per se…" The billionaire trailed off, already helping Peter up to leave.

"I'll be there in a minute, then." Bruce said slowly, still slightly concerned.

Tony nodded absentmindedly, gently pulling Peter into the elevator.

* * *

Bruce walked into the lab, seeing Peter wrapped up in Tony's arms. The sight made him smile. He cleared his throat lightly, hoping not to startle the two. Well, really only Tony, but still.

Tony looked up, and laughed as Peter clung to him like a koala.

"Hey, Brucie-bear."

"Hey. So, what's up?" Bruce asked.

"Basically, while the two heathens were screaming at each other earlier, Peter could hear them. So we have a few possibilities, I guess. The loss of hearing could be temporary and returning slowly, or it could only be a certain percentage of loss. I want to check it out." Tony explained to the surprised physicist.

"Wow, okay. We can do that."

After running multiple tests, the two had come to a conclusion. It seemed to be that Peter's hearing would gradually come back on its own, and they would just have to let it come by itself.

"Peter's hearing seems to be returning quite quickly, actually. If you see the results, the regeneration period has sped up significantly, Tony," Bruce said, showing the other man the tablet.

"So that means it should be back soon! That's great," Tony's voice was laced with an excited tone.

Grabbing the teen's hand, Tony relayed the information. Peter grinned.

"That's awesome! I kinda hear a little bit right now. I mean, when you guys were talking normally it sounded like someone was whispering."

Tony smiled, squeezing Peter's hand. '-.- - ..- / -. - - -.. / - - / -. - / -... .- -.-. -.- / ..- .-.' _You good to go back up?_

Peter only nodded in response.

* * *

The small group stepped out of the elevator. Tony steered Peter away and into his room, and Bruce went to sit down.

"What was that about, Bruce?" Rhodey spoke the question that the rest of the group was too scared to.

"I don't know if Tony wants me to tell. It's nothing bad, but you guys know how Tony is," Bruce said.

As if on cue, the billionaire walked into the room and flopped down on the couch. He dropped an arm over his eyes dramatically.

"Ugh, I can feel all of you staring. I had Bruce run some test with me on the kid because he said he could hear the two idiots screaming earlier. Turns out his hearing is coming back," Tony said, arm still over his face.

"That's great! The boy of spiders will be well in no time!" Thor boomed, making everyone jump.

"Yeah, it is," Tony surprised the group with that one. They expected him to dismiss the subject with a witty remark, but he agreed with a smile on his face.

The group exchanged glances with raised eyebrows.

"So, where is the kid anyway?" Sam asked.

"He should be asleep. Almost knocked out when he hit the pillow," Tony offhandedly said.

"You mean you tucked the kid in? Geez, Tony. Didn't know it was possible to be so much of a dad to a kid who isn't even related to you," Clint said, smirking.

Tony shot up, spluttering. He stumbled over his words, flinging his hands around.

"I'm not the kid's dad!" Tony ignored the voice in his head replaying the scene from earlier when the kid had, in fact, called him dad.

"Whatever you say, Tony. Whatever you say."

* * *

Thank you for reading! I know it's been a while, and this isn't very long. Sorry!

I'm hoping to get more done since it's Christmas break. As always, if you have any suggestions, or want to point out bad grammar or something, lemme know. :)

djooo


	8. Chapter 8

Peter woke up to pain. The light streaming through the blinds was blinding. The sheets wrapped around him felt coarse and rubbed his skin roughly. And the sounds. Peter could hear the breathing of almost everyone in the compound. He could hear someone in the kitchen, and a cacophony of heartbeats battered his head.

Peter couldn't even be happy that his hearing was back. The culmination of things attacking his senses made him nauseous, and it took all of his willpower not to throw up all over his bed.

He writhed, whimpering in pain. If he had been paying attention, Peter would have heard Friday saying that she was notifying Mr. Stark. But he wasn't, and Peter continued to cry out in pain.

In his own room down the hallway, Tony was awoken by his AI's voice.

"Boss, it appears Peter is experiencing a bout of sensory overload. He is currently in his room. I would suggest you assist him." Was that worry in Friday's voice? Tony had no time to reflect as he ripped the covers off of himself and burst out of his room.

Tony sprinted down the hallway, wrenching open Peter's door. He froze, watching as Peter twisted while tears streamed down his face.

The man rushed forward, pulling open a drawer in the nightstand.

"It's okay Petey, just wait one second. You'll be okay, I promise." Tony was babbling and he knew it.

Tony finally found the object he was looking for, and then turned to run in the closet. He rifled through the clothes until he found an old MIT sweatshirt Peter had stolen from him a couple of months ago.

Tony went back over to the bed, carefully pulling the sheets away from the boy. He somehow managed to wiggle Peter's shirt off of his body, and slid the softer sweatshirt back onto him. He turned Peter's face and slid on a pair of tinted sunglasses.

Peter calmed down slightly, but was still whimpering in pain. Tony's eyes widened in realization and he grabbed a modified pair of hearing aids out of the drawer. He slid them over Peter's head, and suddenly, everything stopped.

Behind the sunglasses, Tony saw Peter's eyes open.

"Dad?" Peter's voice was small.

'.. .-. - / ... . .-. . -..- / -... .- -... -.-' I'm here, baby.

A broken sob passed Peter's lips, and Tony's heart clenched. He ran his fingers through Peter's curls as lightly as possible.

"Stay? Please." Peter whispered.

Tony nodded, climbing into the bed next to Peter and gathering the distraught boy into his arms.

'.. .-. ...- . / -. - - / -.- - ..- -..- / -... .- - -... ..' I've got you, Bambi.

Peter curled up into Tony's chest, nuzzling his nose into the base of the man's neck. Tony only smiled sadly, hugging the boy tighter.

And the pair fell asleep, curled together.

Tony awoke first, smiling at the small boy on his chest. Tony's hand was running through the teen's curls, making Peter snuggle impossibly closer.

About half an hour later, Peter started to stir. His eyes blinked open slowly, and he yawned. Finally, he looked up at Tony and smiled.

The man gently removed the glasses and headphones from Peter's head. Peter's nose scrunched, but he showed no other signs of discomfort.

"Are you okay, Bambi?" Tony asked quietly.

Peter's eyes watered, and he wrapped his lanky arms around Tony again.

"I'm okay. Thank you for taking care of me," He whispered against Tony's neck.

"Always, baby. Always."

Eventually, the pair made their way up to the kitchen.

They made quite a sight. Peter was clinging onto Tony's back like a monkey, and Tony helped to support him at his thighs.

Most of the team was there, eating breakfast and drinking coffee. They all watched, baffled, as the pair acted completely normal.

"What do you want to eat, Petey?" Tony asked, depositing him on his normal barstool.

"Uhm...leftovers are fine."

As Tony worked on heating up the food, Peter was left sitting and waiting. The team took the chance they were given.

"So, you can hear now?" Clint asked. Natasha smacked his arm, but didn't comment.

"Uh-yeah. I can now, Mr. Barton-Hawkeye-sir." Peter stuttered, blushing furiously.

"Wow, kid. That was excessive," Clint said, laughing.

Peter just ducked his head into his arms on the counter. Tony laughed from the other side of the counter.

"C'mon, Dad, really? Not you too," Peter whined.

As one, the rest of the occupants of the room froze and turned to stare at Tony.

He coughed, and rubbed his neck.

"Ah...haha, thanks for this one, Pete. Really helpin' out your old man." Tony's voice was weak and nervous.

"Oops?" Peter whispered.

"Before you guys ask, I'm not Peter's dad. Biologically, at least. For some reason this kid thinks I'm someone he should look up to, which is not what he should think, but I can't really say it's not nice, so. Yeah," Tony said, pointedly looking at Peter.

"Tony, don't sell yourself short. I think it's great that he looks up to you. You're a great man. You two obviously care for each other, and I can speak for all of us. We're happy for you." Steve's voice was kind.

Tony's face held an expression of shock, before it morphed into something soft.

"Thanks, Capsicle."

The rest of breakfast passed in a similar manner. The usual animosity that was present in the compound seemed to have dissipated.

"Why were you up so early this morning, anyway, Tony?" Clint asked, shoving his sixth piece of toast into his mouth. Natasha watched, disgusted.

Tony choked on his coffee briefly and quickly composed himself. He looked to Peter for permission. After a nervous nod from the teen, Tony responded.

"Was helping the kid. Got a bad case of sensory overload early this morning when his hearing came back."

Heads turned to face Peter, and he blushed.

"Yeah, it's not really fun. I wouldn't recommend trying that, if I were you guys."

Tony laughed, wrapping his arm around his kid.

"What does that even mean?" Sam asked, bewildered. "What is sensory overload?"

"Basically, when I was bit by the spider, my senses were dialed to eleven. Sometimes, things are too loud, too bright, too rough, and my senses make it feel painful. That's when it feels like one hundred. It can get really bad," Peter explained.

"That sounds awful, Peter," Wanda said, a worried expression on her face.

"Yeah, it is. I'm kind of used to though."

"Have you ever had it worse than this morning?" Tony asked, facing Peter.

"Uh, yeah, I have."

Tony immediately became worried.

"You have? I thought this morning was bad! How often does it happen, Peter?"

"Well, they aren't uncommon, I guess? I've had them up to four times a week before. That was a bad week." Peter shuddered. "And the worst I had was right after I got my powers. I woke up and I thought I was gonna die."

Tony grabbed the teenager, pulling him into his arms. Peter felt his arms shaking slightly around him.

"God, Bambi, why didn't you say anything? I could've helped!"

The team's eyebrows collectively raised at the nickname, but they didn't comment.

"Dad, you kind of didn't even know me when I was bitten. And then after," Peter fidgeted. "I didn't want to bother you."

Tony's face contorted into one of regret. His arms tightened minutely around Peter.

'.. - / ... - / ... - .-. .-. -.-' I'm so sorry.

'.. - ... / - -.- .- -.-' It's okay.

Tony pulled away slightly, still holding Peter's arms.

"Besides! Whatever those earbuds and glasses were really helped! Did you make them?" Peter deflected.

"I did, Underoos. Modified a pair of Clint's hearing aids, and messed with the idea for glasses. Turns out it was a good idea, huh?" Tony replied, keeping his arm wrapped around the teen.

"Yeah. It was," Peter said softly.

'- ... .- -. -.- / -.- - ..- / ... - / - ..- -.-. ... -..- / -.. .- -..' Thank you so much, Dad.

'.- .-.. .- .- -.- …' Always.

The team watched the father and son duo, glad that Tony had finally found true happiness with someone as sweet and pure as Peter.

Hope you enjoyed! I've been a terrible author I know I know.

This is kinda slow right now, but the next chapter should get it rolling a little.

Thanks for reading,

djooo


	9. Chapter 9

The avengers had slowly migrated to situate themselves around the chairs and couches in the common area. Around the semi-circle formed by the furniture, the team had sat in smaller groups.

Vision and Wanda sat at one end, curled up together. Next to them sat Steve, Bucky, Sam, and then Natasha. They talked quietly. Pillowing his head on Natasha's stomach was Clint, staring at his phone. Thor sat next to Bruce, speaking loudly as usual. After them sat Rhodey, Peter, and then Tony. Rhodey and Tony were engaged in a conversation regarding Stark Industries, and Peter was content to curl into his father-figure's chest.

Eventually, Peter was pulled back into reality after hearing his name in a conversation. It seemed Natasha was contemplating his powers.

"I wonder what Peter can really do. We've seen him in action a little bit, but I wonder if he has hidden talents we don't know about."

Steve hummed, nodding. "And then when he was talking about the sensory overload this morning, he mentioned being bitten by a spider? Is that how he got his powers?"

Bucky grunted, acknowledging Steve's question. "Think so."

Peter sat up, rubbing his eyes. Tony stopped what he was saying to Rhodey to ask Peter if he was okay.

"Yeah, I'm good. I could hear Miss Natasha and Steve talking about me."

Peter's words were anything but loud, but they caught the attention of the rest of the occupants of the room's attention. Their heads turned to him.

The teenager shifted, but didn't hide his face like he wanted to.

"Uh...I guess you guys have questions, then?" Peter addressed the group, rubbing his neck.

No one said anything for a few seconds, until, surprisingly, Bucky spoke up.

"You said something about a spider bite?"

"Oh, yeah. That's how I got my powers. I was on a field trip to Oscorp Industries. My, uh…friend's dad owned the company, so he convinced me and my friends to leave the tour group. He pushed me into a room with genetically-enhanced spiders, and one bit me. I woke up the next morning with abs. It was an...interesting morning, to say the least," Peter smiled slightly at the end.

The group listened, intrigued.

Natasha asked next. "What abilities did the spider give you?"

"Uh, well. Enhanced senses; hearing, smell, sight, the whole shah-bang. Healing factor, which also means enhanced metabolism. And you guys know I stick. Grew hairs on my fingers and feet. Uh, got a lot of muscles, too. That was nice."

Natasha nodded, seemingly satisfied, content to let the rest of the group ask the questions.

Sam's voiced carried across the couch. "How'd you know the delivery guy was here yesterday? That was freaky. You a magician now or something?"

Peter laughed, and he could feel Tony shaking slightly with mirth behind him.

"No, definitely not that talented. I forgot to mention it. I have this kind of...sixth-sense? My friend Ned named it my spider-sense. The name kind of stuck. It warns me of danger or stuff of that sort. Sometimes it warns me about random things, or doesn't warn me at all. It's kind of annoying sometimes, but it's saved my life millions of times."

Sam nodded, impressed. "That's pretty cool, kid."

"Boy of spiders! Do the webs come out of you?" Thor boomed randomly, making Peter jump.

"Oh, no. I have web shooters. The webs are chemically-synthesized."

Tony spoke up. "Don't let this kid fool you. He's a genius. That chemical formula? He made it. I've tried recreating it; the results were less than stellar. And he made the web shooters, too. This kid can keep up with me and Bruce in the lab, or in scientific conversation. Doesn't give himself enough credit." Tony mumbled the last part.

Looking over to Peter, they could see his face was bright red, but he was smiling dopily.

Tony only grinned and pulled the boy closer to his side.

* * *

After watching a few more movies, Steve and Wanda went to the kitchen to make dinner. Peter left to get a shower while the rest of the team started to play a video game.

From his bathroom, Peter could hear faint yelling, and couldn't help laughing. He finished up quickly, eager for food.

As he stepped into the kitchen, Peter almost started drooling. Wanda and Steve had made lasagna.

He turned to see most of the group spread out at the table and counter. Peter hurried to his seat at the counter. He watched as Tony came in, automatically getting a cup of coffee. Tony reached for a mug, and a hum started at the base of Peter's skull.

Peter shot out of his seat and grabbed the mug before it could fall from Tony's fingertips. Tony sucked in a surprised breath, but recovered quickly.

"Thanks Petey, saved my favorite mug," Tony said, patting Peter's back. Peter sat down, finally noticing the stares from the rest of the team.

"Dang, spidey. Was that the sense?" Clint ended the stunned silence.

"Uh, yeah. It was," Peter mumbled bashfully. The rest of the group laughed amusedly.

Peter was saved from further teasing as Steve and Wanda placed the dishes on the table. They ate, and dinner passed by smoothly.

Eventually, Tony ushered Peter to his room to sleep. Peter bid him a sleepy good night, and flopped onto his bed. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Tony, following Peter's example, made his way to his own room down the hall.

* * *

Peter swung along between buildings, feeling the rush of web-slinging. The serenity of New York was unusual, but welcome to the teen.

The quiet of the city was interrupted by two sounds Peter was extremely familiar with. The sound of the repulsors of the Iron Man suit...and the tell-tale _whoosh_ and whir of the Vulture wingsuit.

He whipped his head upward to see the two engaged in an aerial fight. The light of Tony's repulsors seemed brighter than normal as they fired at the wingsuit.

Peter watched the fight continue. As the Vulture came closer to Tony, Peter saw the wingsuit morph into the iconic red, white, and blue suit of Captain America.

Vulture-now-turned-Cap gained on Tony, and raised his shield. Peter could only watch in paralyzed horror as the shield slammed into the arc reactor, immediately cutting off the suit's power.

Peter stared for a frozen second as Tony was suspended in the air, before he plummeted. He tried to cry out, but no noise vibrated through his vocal cords. His body was rooted to his spot on top of a building as he watched his mentor, his _father_ , drop into the river below.

Peter awoke with a scream. His chest heaved as he shot up in bed. The sheets were wrapped tightly around him, and Peter struggled to free himself from them. Friday's voice rang out above him.

"Are you alright, Peter? Shall I alert Mr. Stark?"  
Still out of breath, Peter replied. "N-no, Fri. I'm o-okay."

"Very well."

Peter sat against the headboard, trying to will the images out of his mind. After a completely unsuccessful half an hour, Peter huffed.

Resigned, Peter stood, pulling his fluffiest blanket around his shoulders. He opened his door and carefully walked down the hall. Friday had been nice enough to dimly light the hallway so Peter could see.

"Thanks, Friday," Peter whispered.

Peter paused outside of Tony's door, contemplating. His need to see his father-figure safe won over his irrational nervousness.

He pushed open the door, wincing when it creaked. The sound awakened the figure in the bed, and Tony sat up groggily. His eyes widened when he saw who was in his room.

"Pete?" Tony whispered frantically, jumping out of bed. He hurried over to the teen, taking notice to his tear-stained cheeks and slight shivers. Tony grabbed Peter's arms, gently pulling him over to his bed.

"What's wrong, baby? Are you okay?" He asked softly.

Peter hesitated, before deflating. Fresh tears made their way down his cheeks as he buried his face in the older man's chest.

"I had a n-nightmare," he whispered.

Tony tugged the boy closer, stroking his hair.

"Do you want to talk about it, Petey?" He asked softly.

Peter let out a short breath of air.

"I was web-slinging a-and then I looked up and you were fighting the V-vulture. Then he turned into S-steve and smashed the suit and you f-fell and-" Peter stopped abruptly, shuddering.

"Oh, Bambi," Tony sighed. He pulled the teenager into his lap, continuing to stroke his hair. "Baby, I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here, okay? I'm safe, and so are you. No need to cry, sweetheart."

Tony continued to mumble assurances into Peter's hair-line until the boy let out a small yawn.

"Let's go to sleep, yeah? We'll be okay, Petey," Tony slowly fell backward, bringing the pliant teen with him.

"Please don't leave, Dad," Peter spoke into the man's collarbone.

"I won't Bambi, I'm right here. I'll never leave you," Tony murmured. "I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Dad."

And they fell asleep, tucked into one another like two pieces of a puzzle.

* * *

i honestly do not think it's possible to express how freaking sorry i am! these past few weeks have been really rough. what with the semester ending and then _finals_. ugh. awful stuff, i tell you. anyway, it took a lot of determination to get this done. i hope it's okay! thank you soooooooooo much for reading and sticking with this crap.

if you have any suggestions or questions, or just feel like sending me a message, please do so!

love you guys!

djooo


	10. Chapter 10

Peter awoke to the smell of breakfast wafting from the kitchen. His nose twitched and he tried to get up, only to be yanked back down by a force surrounding his middle. Peter looked down only to come nose-to-nose with Tony.

Peter laughed, pushing his father-figure's shoulders lightly.

"C'monnnnn, Dad! I'm hungry!" Peter said, voice almost a whine.

Tony pretended not to hear, but the effect was lost due to the sides of his mouth twitching.

"Really? Get up!" Peter's voice was _definitely_ not a whine.

After watching Tony pretend to be sleeping for a few seconds longer, and idea formed in Peter's mind.

"Well, if you're asleep, I guess I'll just have to go get my new favorite avenger to eat with me…"

Tony's reaction was instantaneous. His eyes shot open and he flipped Peter underneath of him, beginning to attack the poor boy's sides with his fingers.

"Your favorite avenger, huh? Who would that be?" Tony said, laughing.

Peter squirmed, trying to get away from the assaulting fingers.

"Captain America, duh!" Peter squealed.

Tony continued his merciless ministrations, tickling harder.

"That's the wrong answer, mister!"

"Okay! It's Iron Man, it's Iron Man!" Peter said, breathless.

"I can't hear you, maybe you should say it louder!" Tony laughed.

"IRON MAN IS MY FAVORITE AVENGER!" Peter shouted, laughing so hard the words were bordering on unintelligible.

Tony stopped tickling him, moving away.

"That's more like it, kid."

Peter huffed, red-cheeked.

"You knew it was you anyway."

* * *

The pair arrived at the kitchen to all sets of eyes trained their way.

"I'm offended. Truly hurt. I thought I was your favorite, Peter," Clint said, trying not to laugh.

Peter blushed, ducking his head.

Tony, unperturbed, walked past him to start loading plates. "As if, Bird brain."

"See, now I'm actually offended."

The team laughed, continuing to eat.

Suddenly, Friday's voice came over the speaker in the kitchen.

"Boss, it appears that there has been a mass attack of the robots just over in Brooklyn."

The team looked at each other. Steve opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"Don't you dare say it, Capsicle," Tony barked, already exiting the room with Peter behind him.

Clint snorted, along with Sam.

"Disrespect," Steve muttered, going to gear up. "I have zero respect in this household."

* * *

After the team was geared up and ready to go, they fired up the quinjet and were off.

Tony pulled Peter aside.

"Kid, I don't care what Cap said in debrief. You stay away and get civilians to safety, capishe?"

"Okay, Dad."

* * *

They made it to the site of the robots, dropping off the ground team a few blocks away. The group for aerial shot off, already moving toward the fight. Natasha and Clint stayed in the jet, hoping to shoot down the robots and distract.

The battle raged, each team member working to bring down as many robots as possible.

Peter, true to his word, stayed away from the main areas of battle and worked to get civilians to a safe distance.

The robots kept coming at near-exhausting rates.

After almost two hours of continuous fighting, the robots were starting to dwindle. The group fought with renewed vigor, seeing the end in sight.

Peter finished up with the civilians, and spoke over the comms.

"Dad? I finished; everyone's safe. Need any help?"

Tony's voice was delayed, but quick. "You can stay around the edges, alright? Web 'em up but don't get too close."

"You got it."

Peter circled the battlefield, picking off stragglers and working through small groups.

The robot group kept getting smaller and smaller, meaning Peter made his way closer to his teammates. He opted to get as close to Tony as possible, working to keep his father in his line of sight.

Quickly, the robots were defeated. The team let out a collective sigh of relief. Tony tapped his chest, the nanoparticles going back into the housing unit attached to his shirt.

He made his way to Peter, checking him over for injuries. Seemingly satisfied, he reached out toward Peter to hug him.

Peter stepped forward as well, but movement caught his attention. Horror pulsed through him as he raced forward, pushing Tony out of the way. The robot's beam hit him in the chest, and Peter dropped like a stone.

Distantly, Peter could hear Tony's panicked shout and hurried footsteps. His mind floundered, trying to stay conscious.

Peter watched Tony's face appear above him. His brow furrowed.

His mind lost the battle.

* * *

hey guys! i know this one's short, but...plot! i know that it's probably super suuuper annoying that i don't update often, but i'm struggling with motivation for this. i have a bunch of other ideas that sound more entertaining, so i'm definitely gonna start working on those.

but do not fret! i'm not abandoning this. i guess this is a good time as any to warn you that it's not far from being over. the plot is slowly coming to a close. i really hope it wasn't tooooooo disappointing. it's not necessarily an excuse, but please realize this is the first thing i've written.

Anyyyyywayyyyyy, hope you enjoyed!

djooo


	11. Chapter 11

Peter's head felt heavy. There was a distant pounding reverberating throughout his skull, sending tingling all over his body.

The worst part was his chest. Peter felt like someone was punching him repeatedly in the sternum. Peter noticed groggily that he felt himself moving quickly. He groaned, pain hitting him full-force.

Suddenly, there was pressure around his hand. Curious, Peter opened his eyes, hissing at the brightness. After adjusting, Peter flopped his head to his right to see his father holding his hand and running with his gurney. There were two other people pulling him along. He dimly noticed it was Bruce and Steve.

"Peter, oh my god! How are you feeling? Oh my god, oh my god…" Tony trailed off, searching frantically for someone in the hallway they were running down.

"Dad?" Peter croaked, reaching weakly.

"Hey, hey, baby. You're alright. You'll be okay," Tony assured shakily.

"Dad...hurts," Peter whimpered, gripping to his father's sleeve.

"I know, I know, Bambi. We're almost there, don't worry."

Tony's face flashed, and he started yelling. "Cho! Cho you gotta help him! He got hit by some laser beam or something, please, please help him."

Peter felt himself being rushed more frantically down the hallway. He watched as he was pushed through double doors, doctors surrounding him.

He arrived in an operating room, rolling to a stop. Tony appeared next to him, grabbing the younger's hand.

Peter heard a voice. "Wait here. The operation will begin shortly."

He watched as Tony's head bobbed absentmindedly.

"Am I gonna...be okay?" Peter croaked, eyes filling with tears.

"Of course, Pete. Cho's gonna fix you up all good. You'll be out spider-ing before you know it," Tony hurriedly assured Peter.

At that moment, the doctors started rushing in, pulling equipment and talking in rushed voices.

"Sir, we're going to have to ask that you leave for the operation," a nurse said to Tony.

"Don't leave, please-" Peter whined, voice breaking.

"Shh, don't talk Petey, you'll be okay," Tony soothed.

As he was practically pushed out of the room, Tony caught movement out of the corner of his eye.

Slow but steady tapping of Peter's finger on the flat mattress; spelling out one word over and over.

 _Dad. Dad. Dad._

* * *

Hours later, Steve caught Tony working furiously in the workshop. Steve's eyes furrowed in concern for his friend.

"Tony, I know you're worried, but you can't do this to yourself," Steve said quietly.

"Newsflash, Cap, already am," Tony snapped, not once tearing his eyes away from the gauntlet sitting on the table.

"Would Peter want you to? Because I think you and I both know he wouldn't."

That gained Tony's attention. He paused, then looked up at Steve. His eyes were terrified.

"I'm so scared, Steve. I don't know what I'll do if he doesn't make it," the billionaire admitted in a hushed whisper.

Steve stepped closer, overwhelmed with sympathy for his friend. "Tony, he'll pull through this. He's strong. Don't give up on him."

Tony nodded, turning away from the super soldier to hide his face. "I can't help but doubt, you know?"

"I do, Tony, but they're just doubts. You know he'll be okay. Cho is going to get him through this."

Tony shuddered, nodding. "Thanks, Steve."

* * *

After many hours of waiting, Friday's voice filled the workshop.

"Boss, it appears that Peter's surgery has concluded. Doctor Cho says you may visit."

The man dropped his tools, sprinting to the elevator.

Friday took him to the medbay without needing the verbal command.

Tony burst into the room. His eyes were instantly drawn to the limp form on the bed. He rushed to the side of the bed and sank into the chair there.

"Oh, Peter…" Tony sighed shakily.

"...Dad?" Peter husked.

"I'm here, baby."

Peter hummed, grappling for his father's hand. Tony willingly gave it, smiling slightly at Peter's child-like innocence.

"You're gonna be okay," Tony whispered, mostly to assure himself.

'.- . / -... - - ... / .- .-. .' _We both are._

* * *

and that's a wrap! the ending is a little abrupt, i know. i'm sorry for the wait for all of the chapters, and i know the plot wasn't too interesting. but i hope you enjoyed this anyway!

thank you so much for reading!

djooo


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